Trail Name: Tra Valli e Cascine (AKA Sentiero 732)
Trail Type: short-distance hiking circuit; marking on the trail is fairly good, and consistent; once out of town, the trail surface is mostly gravel over hard packed earth, with a grassy stretch for about two kilometers/a bit over a mile.
Length:
Total – 9.7 kilometers/6 miles
Convenient to: Casale Monferrato, Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy
Marking:
Trail signage: Vertical red-white-red bars imprinted with the number 732 in black; alternatively, trail markers are red and white horizontal bars.
Trail Signage photos: See featured photo above, and trail marking photo below:
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; well-maintained and mostly paved or hard-packed earthen trail, marking on the trail is mostly good, but not specific to this trail
Length:
Total – 7.8 kilometers/miles
Convenient to: Bingen, or Koblenz, Germany
Marking:
Nothing specific to the Reblausweg trail, but directional signs, and marking for the Panoramaweg trail (which this trail partly follows), are both helpful.
Trail Type: Mid-distance trail; well-maintained and almost exclusively hard surfaces, no trail-specific marking for this trail, although there are the standard directional and distance (or time) markers.
Length:
Total – 13.5 kilometers/8.4 miles
Convenient to: Schaffhausen, or Zurich, Switzerland
Marking: No trail-specific signage. Directional signs only follow (See comments below)
Examples of German Directional Signs
Examples of Swiss Directional Signs and Trail Markings
Trail Description:
Following mostly along the Rhine River’s edge in a little-known corner of Germany and Switzerland, this very easy trail, with only two short but somewhat steep inclines, offers variety in the landscape, tranquil scenery, and often shady paths.
Trailheads:
Jestetten, Germany: Saarstr (x Bahnhof) (start)
Buchberg, Switzerland: Dorfstr (end)
Parking:
Jestetten, Germany: Bahnhofstr (by station)
Buchberg, Switzerland: by the church
Public Transportation Options:
Rail: S9, Schaffhausen-Jestetten-Uster, stops in Rafz, (about 4 kilometers distant, but the closest to Buchberg)
Bus: Zurcher Verkehrsverbund, (ZVV), runs a frequent and direct bus service to Rafz on ZVV Bus 675
Jestetten, Germany: Saarstr, Altenburger Str, Im See; Cross the Volkenbach; through woods and fields; Lottstetten: Cross Weiherweg, Balmerstr, along river (and mostly through wooded terrain) for a while; Ruedlingen: past parking lot on river; cross Rafzerstr, past water treatment plant, Chratzeren, Hinterdorfstr, Sustenstr, Schuelwegli; vineyards, Buchberg, Switzerland: vineyards, Church, Dorfstr
Representative Trail Photos:
Sample of Trail Through Woods by the RiverSample Section of Incline (Buchberg)Trail by the Roman Bridge
Restrooms:
Jestetten, Germany: Bahnhofstr x Saarstr, by the station
Ruedlingen, Switzerland: Chratzeren, at the water treatment facility
Attractions on or near Trail:
Tasting along the Trail: Café Rebe, Buchberg, Dorfstr 22; Besen-Beiz, Buchberg, Lindenhof (after 4 Apr 19)
Alternative Options:
Bike: Rhein-Route 2, Stage 7 (Schaffhausen to Bad Zurzach), a 53-kilometers (33 miles) bicycle itinerary covers this territory and more, following mostly along the Rhine River.
An option to cross the river by a small ferry is possible opposite Nack. (Look for the bell to ring to summon the ferry from the far side of the river.) There are not one, but two, water-side eateries there to slack the thirst and sate the hunger of hikers, bikers and boaters!
In Switzerland, instead of distance, the required time is usually indicated. (And in my experience, represents a healthy pace.)
Trail Name: Chablis – Les Sept Grands Crus/ Chablis – Les 7 Grands Crus (See comments below.)
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; trail surfaces mostly well-maintained and almost exclusively paved or hard-packed; marking on the trail was difficult to discern. (See comments below.)
Trail Name: Weinerlebnisweg (Metzingen und Neuhausen)
Trail Type: Two short distance circuits conjoined by a third circuit between them; well-maintained and almost exclusively paved, a form of marking/signage is along parts of the trail
Length: 8.3 km/5 miles
Convenient to: Tuebingen or Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
Marking:
Alternate red and green squares (often on tall posts) mark learning points along the trail, although these do not necessarily point the way to the next point.
Marker on the Weinerlebnis Trail Metzingen-Neuhausen
Trail Description: A relatively easy itinerary up and down hills and dales, with learning boards, rest stops and scenic lookouts along the way, through agricultural and woodland settings, above a moderately urbanized area.
Trailheads:
Kelternstrasse, Neuhausen (for the Metzingen-Neuhausen circuit)
Am Gruenen Haeusle, Metzingen (for the Metzingen circuit)
Parking:
Kelternstrasse, Metzingen-Neuhausen (for the Metzingen-Neuhausen circuit)
Elsa-Braendstroem-Strasse (30), Metzingen (for the Metzingen circuit)
(Both are right on the trail)
Public Transportation Options:
Rail: DB ‘s (Deutsche Bahn) regional trains conveniently connect Metzingen with Tuebingen and Stuttgart
Suggested Stages:
Hikers can choose to complete one circuit, (such as the Neuhausen circuit for approximately 3.25 kilometers/2 miles), then return another day to complete the Metzingen circuit, which is just a bit shorter.
Metzingen-Neuhausen: End of Kelternstrasse, follow the uphill path into the vineyards, take the path to the right, and follow along the vines (you will see education boards along the way), turn left, uphill, to a rest hut with a hammock, and follow back along the hillside, climb up to the Hofbuehl sign, follow a yellow circle over a foot bridge to the Hofbuehlbrunnen (a fountain), to Steinerweg; Metzingen: Through vineyards, to the parking spots on Elsa-Braendstroem-Strasse, turn left, downhill and curve around left to follow along the lower vineyards above Metzingen, back onto Steinerweg, and downhill, curving southeast to the start point in Metzingen-Neuhausen
Representative Trail Photos:
Trail Segment
Trail Segment in the Vineyards
Trail Section through Fields and Orchards
Restrooms: None observed!
Attractions on or near Trail:
Metzingen: On Kelternplatz there is a collection of half-timbered buildings formerly housing old wine presses, a museum dedicated to wine-making in the area, a Winemakers House, and a vinothek and wine bar.
Tasting along the Trail:
The local cooperative WGS (Winzergenossenschaft) Metzingen-Neuhausen is on Kelternplatz, Metzingen
The Wengerterhaeusle (“Winemakers House” listed above) offers regular public wine tasting events. Check the events schedule (“Veranstaltungen”) at https://weinbaumuseum-metzingen.de/
Alternative Options:
Biking: The 353 kilometers/219 miles-long Wuerttemberger Weinradweg passes through Metzingen. The southern portion often follows along the Neckar River, one of Germany’s wine rivers, before heading east and north at Heilbronn. See the Nutshell here.
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit hiking trail; well-maintained and mostly smooth surfaces, much of it paved, but no trail-specific marking on the trail
Length:
Total – 25 kilometers/15.5 miles
Convenient to: Leipzig, Germany
Marking:
No trail-specific marking
Trail Description: A very easy, if not a bit long trail, with only one ascent of any challenge, through the largely isolated vineyard areas between Naumburg and Bad Koesen, and those two urban centers. While the scenery is less spectacular than other trails, the attraction here is found in the quiet and very laid-back countryside of this little-known wine region of northern Germany.
Trailhead: Marienring x Hallesche Str, Naumburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Parking:
Naumburg (just before the river crossing to Henne): a medium sized unimproved lot
Grossjena: K233x Wasserstr, just after the bridge, a small unimproved lot
Bad Koesen: by the sports field at the trailhead, at the end of Hallesche Strasse
Public Transportation Options:
Rail: DB (DeutscheBahn) regional trains serve this area, and the nearest, and undoubtedly largest, hub for services in the county is Leipzig.
Bus: PVG Burgenlandkreis serves the area with a combination of tram and bus lines. Check the website for details.
Naumburg:, Hallesche Str-Hallesche Anger, along the Saale, over river on Hallesche Str; Henne: past the Naumburg Wein und Sekt Manufaktur, road turns to path; Along Bluetengrund toward Grossjena; Cross Unstrut after 500 meters passing the Max Klinger Museum entrance; Kleinjena: Friedrich-Schulze Strasse, Unter den Reussen, path; Rossbach: Pass St Elizabeth church, Am Leihdenberg, Am Meisel, Trift, Weinberge; Pass the Steinmeister vineyards, Pass the Besenwirtschaft Dierking, Along Saale on Weinberge-Saaleberge, Pass Klosterpforta; Bad Koesen: Saalstr, cross the bridge, Naumbergerstr/B87, An der Kleinen Saale; Schulpforte; woods, Panoramaweg, Koesener Str, Michaelisstr, Lindenring, Herrenstr, pass the town hall on the main square, Marienstr.
Representative Trail Photos:
Section of Hike and Bike Surface
Trail Section Through Naumburg
Restrooms:
No public ones observed
Attractions on or near Trail:
Max Klinger Museum, just outside Grossjena, dedicated to a well-known local artist, who also had his own vineyards on the grounds.
The local wine museum is located between Grossjena and Freyburg, in Schloss Neuenburg, a mile or so off the trail.
Tasting along the Trail:
Trail boasts numerous vintner establishments along the way, but the Wein und Sekt Manufaktur in Naumburg-Henne, Kloster Pforta, Schulpforte, and the wineries between Rossbach and Bad Koesen, are your best opportunities to purchase bottles.
Alternative Options:
Hiking:
-Weinlehrpfad Saale-Unstrut, a 12-kilometer (7.4 mile) trail along the vineyards on the Unstrut, starts in Laucha, and finishes by the bridge in Freyburg.
-Weinbergsweg, an 11-kilometer (6.8 mile) circuit around Bad Koesen, some of which is on the Saale Weinwanderweg.
Biking: The long-distance Saale Radweg, while not wine-themed, passes many of the wineries mentioned above, and is used by this hiking trail in part.
Due to a knee injury, I did not hike this trail itinerary, so I cannot comment on the ascent or the wooded section of this trail between Bad Koesen and Naumburg.
Trail Type: A mid-distance circuit bicycle itinerary; well-maintained surfaces, much of it paved, however no trail specific marking throughout the itinerary.
Length:
Total – 33 kilometers/ 20.5 miles
Convenient to: Molsheim, Strasbourg, Bas Rhin, Alsace, France
Marking: None specific to the itinerary. Some sections do have the typical green and white cyclist markings for a bicycle path to serve as a guide.
Trail Description: A well thought out itinerary through mostly rural landscapes with a variety of flat and hilly sections, vineyard, field and urban terrain, some on minimally trafficked road sectors, and some on fairly long stretches of vehicle-free bicycle path or dedicated bicycle lane.
Trailhead: Molsheim, Rue de Strasbourg, Porte des Forgerons
Parking:
Molsheim: R de la Commanderie x R Ernest Friedrich (closest to trailhead); Rue des Sports, by the open-air pool
Dorlisheim: Chemin des Moissons, Rue Mercure, north and south, in a mall area
Mutzig: Place de la Gare, Rue du Dr Schweitzer,
Balbronn: R du Fronhof (at the upper/higher end)
Public Transportation Options:
Rail: Frequent regional trains (TER) connect Strasbourg and Molsheim
Bus: Numbers 234 and 236 connect Molsheim with surrounding villages
Molsheim: R. de Strasbourg x Avenue de la Gare, R. Charles Mistler, past Camping Municipal, over Bruche, along D93/D30; Dachstein: D30; Egerstein: Along Canal de la Bruche to Wolxheim; Wolxheim : R de Molsheim; Avolsheim: cycle path to Grotte d’Avolsheim, R. du Dompeter, R. de la Gare, Impasse de la Roseliere, cycle path; Soultz les Bains: R. de Molsheim/D422, D275: Dangolsheim: D275/Rte du Vin (past the Lavoir, or laundry basin); Bergbieten: D275/Rue des Vosges; Balbronn: D275/R. du Château, R. de la Foret, Rte de Flexbourg; Flexbourg: Rte de Flexbourg-R. des Acacias, R. de la Paix, R. des Seigneurs/D118; Still: D118/Rte de Flexbourg, Grande Rue; Dinsheim: D118, D392/ R. du General De Gaulle, past the Chapel of St Wendelin; Mutzig: Blvd Clemenceau; cross the Bruche, still on D392, past the Gare de Mutzig, Rte de Strasbourg; Faubourg des Vosges; Dorlisheim: Grand Rue, Avenue de la Gare/D392; Molsheim: D392; Altdorf: Chemin de la Blieth, R. des Romains, R. des Pres, R. Principale; Molsheim: R. Jean Mermoz, cycle path paralleling Rte Ecospace, D2422/R. de la Commanderie, past the Gare de Molsheim
Representative Trail Photos:
Dedicated Bike Path Along a Road
Representative Segment: Road Riding
Sample: Section of Unpaved Surface
Restrooms:
Molsheim: Passage de la Post x Avenue de la Gare, about 50 meters west of the chapel in the parking lot by the old town gate “Tour des Forgerons”
Attractions on or near Trail:
Molsheim: Musee de la Chartreuse, focuses on millennia of history and traditions of the Bruche Valley, while another section covers the history of Bugatti (the other half of the name of this route), its cars and its connection to Molsheim.
Tasting along the Trail:
Wolxheim, Avolsheim, Soulz-les-Bains, Balbronn and Bergbieten are well-known wine villages with several wineries in each. Additionally, Molsheim is the largest town in the area, with several taverns and restaurants serving local wines.
Alternative Options:
Hiking: The circuit hike called Trotele, one of the Circuits of Bacchus, is a 13.6 kilometers hike through several of the same villages. See the Nutshell here.
Biking: The long distance Veloroute du Vignoble d’Alsace begins about 15 miles north in Marlenheim, and passes through Soulz-les-Bains, Molsheim and Dorlisheim, then proceeds south through other villages and towns in the Bas Rhin department. See the Nutshell here.
Trail Type: A short distance circuit; well-maintained and mostly hard-packed or paved with some grassy surface; marking on the trail fairly good, but a map could be useful.
Length:
Total – 7.4 kilometers/5.2 miles
Convenient to: Freiburg, Germany
Marking: A rectangular red background with a stylized white letter W, with a stylized white hut inside it
Trail Description: A gentle hike over modest inclines with well-maintained trail surfaces through vineyards and fields with the vintner huts throughout. Great views in all directions, but especially toward the Black Forest.
Trailhead:
Herbolzheim-Wagenstadt, August Ziegler Weg, by the Evangelical church
Parking:
Herbolzheim-Wagenstadt, Im Erb or Im Weiherle
Public Transportation Options:
Rail and Bus: Herbolzheim, and nearby Kenzingen, are two of the many stations on the main north-south train route through the Rhine River Valley. DeutscheBahn (DB) has many trains serving this area, and operates buses which serve the nearby villages like Wagenstadt.
Herbolzheim-Wagenstadt: Kenzingerstr, Brechterstal, fields, vineyards, edge of forest, vineyards, Weingut Schaudt, Kenzingerstr, Ob dem Dorf, past the cemetery, vineyards, down a slope to trailhead.
Representative Trail Photos:
Sample Gravel Trail Surface
Grass Trail Section
Representative Trail Section in Vineyards
Restrooms:
None observed
Attractions on or near Trail:
None related to wine
Tasting along the Trail:
Three wineries are on the trail (but note hours), plus other wineries and taverns in the nearby towns Kenzingen and Malterdingen
Alternative Options:
Hiking: Nearby Ettenheim has the Weinwanderung Kaiserberg, a circuit similar in distance and landscape. See the Nutshell here.
Car: The Badische Weinstrasse, a car route of over 500 kilometers on mostly secondary roads, covers not only Wagenstadt, Bleicheim and Tutschfelden, but most of the wine villages and towns from Laudenbach, north of Heidelberg, to Weil am Rhein by Basel, Switzerland.
Two trails actually, with a tiny bit of overlap, the Grosse, or long trail has red signage, and the shorter one (about 4.1 kilometers) has blue and yellow signage.
A pleasant trail, and I could recommend it for families with children of about six or seven and up.
The one grass covered surface section might not be mowed, which could be an issue in mid-summer. However, there are easily identifiable detours all around.
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit bicycling itinerary; well-maintained with hard (paved or packed earth) surfaces; no marking for this itinerary.
Length:
Total – 40.7 kilometers/25 miles
Convenient to: Basel or Rheinfelden, Switzerland
Marking: None specific to the itinerary
Trail Description: While starting in a small city, this trail leads uphill to the hinterlands above the Rhine, through a variety of agricultural landscapes (orchards, fields, vineyards), as well as through forests and riverlands. No doubt the hills will be challenging to many, given the numbers of them, (even though the gradients never got above the 8-10 percent range), due to the length of some of them.
Trailhead:
Official: Rheinfelden: Olsbergerstr/Rueschelenhaldenweg x Bergweg
Mine: Train station to Alleeweg to the official start
Parking:
Rheinfelden center: None free, but parking garages and lots, one of each on Schutzenweg, closest to the trail;
Rheinfelden outskirts (Riburgerstr): Park and Pool (at the traffic circle) (24-hour restriction), Sportanlagen Schiffacker
Arisdorf: Parking Kaenelmatt on Kaenelmattstr
Public Transportation Options:
Information for both rail (Basel to Rheinfelden or Liestal), and bus services from these towns to the villages listed below, may be found at the Tarifverbund Nordwestschweiz (TNW) website at tnw.ch/fahrplan-liniennetz/online-fahrplan (as of October 2020)
Rheinfelden: Forest trail, Rheinfelderweg, Rheinfelderstr; Olsberg: downhill through fields and vineyards, Hofgutweid, through Chloster grounds (formerly Olsberg Cloister), Hagachermatt, Hauptstr; Arisdorf: Arisdorferstr, Olsbergerstr, Hauptstr, Winkel, Kaenelmattstr, underpass beneath highway, fields, Arisdorferstr; Fuellinsdorf: Obererhofackerstr, down a flight of stairs at Obererhofackerstr x Huempelweg, Liestalerstr; Uetental: Uetentalweg, Suttenbergweg, Oberer Burghaldenweg, Erzenbergstr; Liestal: Gaststr, Rheinstr, path to Kasernenstr, Militaerstr, Kasinostr, over highway, Heidenlochstr; Lausen: Gartenstr, Weiherhofstr, Ringstr, Apfelhurststr-Edletenweg, up the mountain to Waldhuette Edleten, through woods for a while; Hersberg: Hersbergerstr, Hauptstr; Nusshof: Hauptstr, left onto Sissacherstr, Breitenhof path to Wintersingen; Wintersingen: Im Graben, Hauptstr, Buelweg, Dorfmattstr, fields, Rickenbacherstr briefly, then fields along the ridge overlooking town; Buus: Wiebentalweg, Hauptstr, Laigweg, path paralleling Hauptstr; Maisprach: Buuserstr, Magdenerstr, Hauptstr; Magden: bike path to Salzackerweg paralleling Hauptstr, Buenn-Sonnenplatz, Hauptstr, Bruelstr, Waldweg, Mooshaldenweg
Representative Trail Photos:
Representative Hard-Packed Surface
Representative Unpaved Trail Segment
Restrooms:
Rheinfelden: Froeschweid, a pay toilet by the parking garage (Only one seen, and not on the trail!)
Attractions on or near Trail:
Nothing wine-themed, other than the tranquil scenes of vineyards!
Tasting along the Trail:
Magden, Maisprach Buus and Wintersingen all have taverns serving local wine, although hours are limited. Olsberg also has a tavern, the Weinresidenz, in the village center. The larger towns, Rheinfelden and Liestal both have lots of cafes and restaurants that sell wine by the glass, although they might not be local. Liestal has the Siebe Dupf Kellerei, which is a cellar vinifying grapes from local farmers, and has a shop open Monday through Saturdays all day!
Alternative Options:
Hiking: The 13-kilometer long Syydebaendel & Rebenweg, trail (not a circuit!) from Maisprach to Wintersingen, through mostly vineyards and fields.
Trail Type: Medium distance circuit cycling itinerary; well-maintained and mostly paved trail surfaces, albeit with a couple of grass paths, and a few hard-packed earth surface sections, marking on the trail for the specific itinerary is sporadic.
Length:
Total – 44 kilometers/27.3 miles
Convenient to: Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
Marking: A white sign with stylized circles forming a grape cluster with two stylized riders on top
Signage: Winzer Radrundweg
Trail Description: A delightful medium-length circuit primarily through vineyards, circling around the smaller, and lesser known (hence quieter and not as tourist-filled) wine villages of the southern part of Deutsche Weinstrasse.
Trailhead:
Official: Siebeldingen: Bismarckstr
Mine: Laundau: L509 Queichheim Hauptstr, at the Landau Zentrum exit off A65
Parking:
Insheim: Bahnhofstr;
Moerlheim (at exit Landau-Zentrum): P+R (just east of exit)
Landau: parking in and around the Freizeitbad (a water park) and the nearby Stettiner Str
Public Transportation Options:
Rail: Deutsche Bahn has frequent rail service connecting Landau with the main Rhine Valley cities via Karlsruhe.
Bus: VRN (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar) has bus lines connecting Landau and/or Bad Bergzabern (both with frequent train service) to the smaller towns and villages on this itinerary.
Landau: Horststr, Horstring, Am Kugelfang; Dammheim: Am Bahnhofstr, Alte Bahnhofstr, Dorfstr, Schmiedstr; through fields, along A65; Knoeringen: Bahnhofstr, Hauptstr, Kirchstr; Walsheim: Hauptstr; through fields; Nussdorf: Kirchstr, Lindenbergstr, Am Heimlichen Eck, Kaiserberg, along Weinerlebnis Pfad; Godramstein: Unterer Steinweg, Bornergasse (P), Frankweilerstr, Kapellenweg, L511; Siebeldingen: Jahnstr, along Queich creek, outskirts; Arzheim: Hauptstr-Kalmitstr, Kapellenstr, Erzabt-Josef-Koch-Str, Ilbesheim bei Landau: Arzheimerstr, Hauptstr, Moerzheimer Str; Wollmesheim: Wollmesheimer Hauptstr, L510/Moerzheimerstr; Moerzheim: cross K6 (or turn left) Goecklinger Weg, Zum Kirchweg, Herrenstr, Unterstr, Bruehlstr, Augartenweg, fields; Impflingen: Obergasse-Bruchgasse, In der Kuhweide, fields; Insheim: Sportplatzstr, Kettelerstr, Kandeler Str-Sandweg, past train station (P), Bodelschwingstr, Offenbacherstr; Along, then over A65; Moerlheim: Moerlheimer Str; Queichheim-Landau: Queichheimer Hauptstr (P); Landau: Hauptbahnhof (P)
Representative Trail Photos:
Sample of Surface Type
Most Degraded Surface of the Itinerary
Restrooms:
Nussdorf: On the Weinerlebnispfad, in the vineyards is a small restroom set in a nice rest area.
Landau: Off the trail (but closest and pay) toilets at Am Kronwerk x Fortstr (make sure you have coins)
Attractions on or near Trail:
Seasonal local wine festivals (see below), and wine education paths Nussdorf and Siebeldingen
Tasting along the Trail:
Many wineries along the trail, most notably in Siebeldingen, Nussdorf, Ilbesheim and Godramstein; whereas Landau has a couple of wine taverns/vinoteks. Additionally, Ilbesheim, Heuchelheim-Klingen, Siebeldingen have wine festivals in September
Alternative Options:
Hiking: In Heuchelheim-Klingen, the Weinrundwanderweg, a 13.6-kilometer-long easy circuit hike through the two villages surrounded by a sea of vines. Ilbesheim, by contrast has a number of wine-themed short (2-3 kilometer) circuits. Last but not least is Nussdorf’s Weinerlebnispfad, a unique combination of visual and audio art set in the vineyards along a two-kilometer trail through the vineyards overlooking the mountains and valleys of the Pfalz.
Car: Deutsche Weinstrasse, a thematic car route itinerary of about 100 kilometers, much of it on secondary roads, past vineyards and through charming wine villages, from Bockenheim to the border town of Schweigen-Rechtenbach.)
Not a lot of shade, so perhaps best in cooler weather.
A couple of short, but steep inclines. However, overall, this is an easy to medium difficulty trail.
I included the earthen trail surface photo above to show that even the most degraded surface on this itinerary is quite suitable for most bicycles, except perhaps directly after a very heavy or prolonged rain.
